More cat advice needed!

[DisneyPhD]

Help. My 12 year old male cat is getting to me. In the past 3 months or so he has started peeing on or marking anything left on the basement floor that is soft or made of any material (like a sock, stuffed toy, pillow, clothes.) His litter box is in the basement (in the workshop so it is in a different room.) It isn't because his box is full, he is just marking it his. He doesn't do this in any other floor of the house. He is fixed and no major changes in our life in this time period.

It is driving me crazy. The finished basement is the play room and the kids leave stuff down there, in addition it is the laundry room. I have been very careful about it, but the kids aren't always and since it is the play room it is the one room they don't have to clean up every time (If I don't see it, it doesn't bug me.

I told the kids, pick it or we will have to get rid of it or the cat. I don't mean it, but can any cat experts think of any other thing I can do to keep him from doing it?

I know there are a lot of cat owners here, and people were so helpful with the flea advice (none ever found, but he is doing well and I have no new bites to those who helped last time.)

This is driving me crazy! Any words or wisdom, or at least why he is doing this?

 

[Sherri]

I have had this problem funny enough. Since he is a male he may have crystals in his urine (very common in male cats, especially as they age). It does not matter that he is in indoor cat, it is a big reason for changes in bathroom habits. You can try the special diet food they sell for urinary tract health. Science diet makes one and Purina now puts one out. We use DADS gourmet urinary track formula dry food. Also 9 lives or friskies puts out special diet wet food, it will say it on the lable.
Your cat may need antibiotics if it is bad but then he will be alright. My cat was VERY sick and was in the hospital for 3 weeks before Christmas. He is an older cat and I as soon as the Vet mentioned there was not much she could do, I started to cry. She ran more tests and he is like a brand new cat even though he is pushing 12
Hopefully you can treat him without antibiotics, but if you switch his food to the special diet and it doesn't work, take him to the Doctor before too much time so they can treat him in the early stages with just antibiotics. My guy neede IV by the time we caught on that he was ill. Hope this helps a little. Good luck.

 

[Randi]

I agree that it is more than likely a medical problem and deserves a trip to the vet. 12 yrs is not old in a cat, indoor cats often live to 18 or older.
I don't believe that any animal does something to annoy his people, it is just that they have ways of dealing with illness or pain in ways that we may not realize. Any time my animals start doing something they never did before, we go to the vets first. It has usually been warranted.
Hope things work out for you all.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Thanks Sherri, I would have never thought about it. I will look into that. Why would he only do it in the basement though? It seems rather behavioral, like he is claming the object as his own. (as the outdoor cats do in your back yard.

 

[Sherri]

I think he is getting your attention maybe to say he isn't feeling good.
Another thought is what was going on with my sisters cat. Her cat started peeing in the basement, her play room for her kids. It was a finished walk out basement. Turns out another cat (a neighbors cat) was sitting outside the window, well LuLu (her cat) was very upset about that and felt territorial and marked her spot there as to say stay away. Her neighbor moved with the cat and away went the problem. BUT if it is a male cat like mine, I would really think its a urinary thing and I think he is trying to tell you. I think its great the purina and dads make the special diet food. Science diet can get expensive.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Is that the senior cat food? He hates that stuff and refuses to eat it if I buy it by mistake.

We leave for vacaiton tmw, so I don't have time to check out the vet, but I will when we come home. I need to run to the store today, so I will try to pick up some cat food. There isn't any other cats near the basement, but many outside the house on the 1st floor. He hates them, they tease him "haha I can go out, you can't."

My niece will be here daily after school and FIL will stop in too, so the cat should be fine.

 

[Sherri]

The dry food is NOT senior food just urinary tract health food. The wet food is not senior food unless it specifically says so on the lable.
Have fun on your vacation tomorrow. Good luck with your cat situation. I really hope it all works out.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Hi, I was able to get to the store and found Purina dry cat food, urinary tract healthy formula so I bought a bag of that. He seems to be eating that ok, but told my niece that if he isn't eating it to switch back to the old food.

I didn't want him to go all week with out it.

Most things are pack. WDW here we come.